By Lisa Sims
GREAT NEWS!! Alpaca Expeditions has had another opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the families of some of the porters (chaskis) that help us and our trekkers carry supplies on our Inca Trail treks.
In the tiny town of Wakatinu is a school which serves the families who live in the agricultural communities in the area of Ocongate, at the base of one of Peru’s highest perpetually snow-capped mountains, Ausangate. In the past year Alpaca has taken some of the needs of this town on as a social project and has been supporting them with school supplies, hygiene products and a native tree planting project.
Because a number of students attending this school are growing up and moving into the high school classes, there is a demand for another teacher. Unfortunately, the budget for education with the Peruvian government has gone down, leaving the classes overcrowded – and more than they can handle and still receive a proper education.
Attracting teachers to this fairly isolated location has proven to be a challenge. Most people that would consider this type of work do not want to be so far from their own families and the comforts and conveniences of the larger towns and cities. The parents of the children who live in this area are subsistence farmers and the standard of living is about as basic and rustic and one can imagine. There are basically no amenities or entertainment of any kind outside of their small homes.
So the residents of Wakatinku together with the Director of the School, Señor Martin CCoscco Huarancca and the head of the Parent-Teachers Association approached Alpaca Expeditions and asked us if we could help them with this dilemma. We agreed, and they now have a teacher! Señora Humpire Colquehuanca, a native Quechua-speaker from the Puno area in the south of Peru is now teaching the 12 to 17 year olds Mathematics, Art and some English.
We want to take this opportunity to thank YOU, our trekkers for helping us support this project. Just the fact that you have booked a tour through Alpaca Expeditions means you are making a difference in the lives and futures of these children who have been born into unfortunate poverty. With the supplies and teachers that we are able to help provide these children, they are receiving a much better opportunity to improve their future lives through their better education. THANK YOU!!!
